VERSES NEW AND OLD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 211, 30 May 1908, Page 12

VERSES NEW AND OLD.

fv>THE TRAVELLERS. . ( If v'! '.'j •;,When 'the-. time is come for going by the sea or bv the - shore, ■ We clasp a hand at parting and take up the . . traveller's load; ■_' _y _ 'iay: There's a sound eomos.faintly drifting, drifting ■ to us c.vcntioi'o — ' ■ The sound of feet before us on tho road.. Thoy went by and mountain, by the rocky i i: ..way and stoep,' g:;-. Through the valleys where tho sunny rivers. - • ' ' • flowed; * ; ' . Ajid we fare not any whither but that steady, march Ihev keep. ■ r ';; /: ' .There aro.'always feet before us on the road. '• •'v/.'.'O,'' tho noonday sun. was. on them, tlio. wintry I 1 : blasts were.'stinging, " ' . ■ :VV. IT hey ' encountered . all' that. heaviest hearts ;' . hrbodej; \ 'y' ' • '.' v>:-- But there's something tinu'S the footstep—talce 3.- ' ; ' .you couragc : from their singing— y .■"•If youlistc'n thero is music on tho road. ; - ' We slnll go the .way unlitten by sun or moon 'v..or star'.: \ -'yy. .1. ■ ■That has. no turning backward -to any old . ' . abode; • ■ ■i-' ~y, ■' , Shall we hear them haste to-meet us that we heard so long afar, . : - . The feet: that wont before us on tho riadr. —M. 'V.- Fairlie in the "Glasgow Hera'd. the cnrLi). S Sou may bo .ciirist;.qr.Shakespeare, little .child,. / A saviour, or a suii. to. the. lost .world. , : ' ■ Therfr is' no babe born but' may carry, furled SyStrength' to riiak'e'.blooni tho world's disastrous - .''.--.-lviidi' *'-v --y : y- ■ Ohi'what then must:'our labours be to mould •yy you; V-' To open-the heart, to build with .dream .the • : ■' - brain,: , ~. .. ', . . , : " To strengthen, tho young soul m toil ana paw, Till our age-acliing hands.no longer hold yon! •; /.Vision';far-dreamed! But soft! If your last s-v. ' '' goal;," Be low, if you are only.common clay, What then? Toil lost? :Wero our toil trebled, nay? .'■■■' iTorii'aro a soul, you aro a human soul, •_ ;iyy. '•/ A gt-eater than the skies ton-trillion starred— y'. ."/ Shakespearo no greater, 0 you slip of God! —James Oppenhciin, in "Cosmopolitan." BANJO SONG OF DUNEDIN. LASSIES. '. : The girls that como from Auckland Havo faces palo and proud, . . ' ■' y : ' With eyes of summer lightning, ' ?<;/'. , . '.And brows of su'miner , cloud, ' : ' ; v/ y y ' , 'And . Auckland girls, are .stately, iy•>/' " ..' And . Auckland girls are gay— - ; . . ,\.i y y''"':. -■-But it's .not- tho; girls of Auckland > ' . I'm.'tliinkirig of to : day. . '\ ■ • Oh, lassies of'rDnncdin! y ' 'Your eyes are-jnst as bright; ■.% 1 . ;' .- They glow-with happv beauty, ■ i/y.- y-y They shine'with softer .light; i' ..i ;j ; :'.,.;yy' And, lassies of Dnnedin. y "'-'•y ' y ;■'■■■;■, The gentle.southern sun-!'. J-. . Has tonohed';your; choeks with;colour; '. Of-blushes, naif-begun! '• '•"• ■ ,'-A» 1 ' In Wellington aro ladies Not lacking queen-liko grace. • ' : .. if.f"' For poise of head and shouldors, r-y. -'Ann cioar, wind-freshened face —.. - , Full-breasted liko an empress, ;W y.; ; With straight' limbs stringing free— \ » ' . Tet little is the heart-call : • W jyy -Of .AA : ellihgton for me. '•- ■• - . ' /. Oh, lassies of Duncdin, . . . : Your laughter runs like gold,. For you tho jov of living, - .-.y . ' And hearts that grow not.old., To;, tunes are beating'. y : . The staunch, good hearts of-, you; Jl,.} -, And,; lassies of Dunedin, ■ i .. .. . . Your lips and hearts, are triiely :• For wo havo gone by Koslyn, I: ' ... : And over Maori Hill, ■ f: . ■ v. - And by tho hawthorn hedges j. - . • That lead'to Roslyn Mill,- !-- yy , .: : .'And olimbed to Cargill's Ca'stlo . '.' ' f .. ; A-long. December-day, i ;: , -. i.. , v-: , And the: lassios of Dunedin '.' i v |:.' ' . ;>!'Went sjiijgifig' all' the ; way.; j ,i, |j.V , ' I,} ' , . ' '" i Oh,^ of Dunedin, '~. I; : : I hear your laughter yet, f s The older'days are calling,." !•: . And I shall not forget. [j : .. Oh, home of silvery; laughtor! j? " A';-'Oh, house of honest speech! ' . / To you come all contentment, . . * [;>y v And one true heart to each! / ' How through tho winter gaslight, 1 y. ; > Along tho snoir-hushed street, . . y:;,- We went to merry dances .;,; -y ' With graciqus girls and sweet! .; 'How,'girt in dainty vesture . ' And warm delight,v: * 1 /:, : / The lassies of 'Duncdin . . Waltzed through tho-winter night! • Oh, lassies of Dunedin! . When shall I see again . i . Tho tender eyes I once saw y;yyy. Like:bush now-washed with rain? ! . Whatever land I come to,. : •.. . .. Whatever doom I drco, .- ■, y: y'.'.'. : It's one Dunedin lassie .• -■ . : ■y . j!. That holds tho Heart.of me! '■ ■ v'- '"' - ■ 'V ■. . T.P., in, " The; Bullotin." TRIFLES. .' y' . ' There are no trifles in the. world , y;;-...... •' But radiantly shine; l-.' : . ; The meanest b'.ado of grass is-pearled .- : ! - With dews 'of the Divine. ' :i /' . . And he whose hearth-fire duties are- ..; •' y . - In faith sincerely done . . Is great as he who lights a star "> 7. / : : .' Or regulates the sun. .■ ,y . v,;- ; ' ' ' . To simple ballad or to rhjmo ■ i* - ■ Of mother by the lire.. Tho baton of God is keeping time, : '--''-• ; v , As to the seraph choir. \ No fleeting wish, but He is thore, . yy ; :. Nor movement of , ■' t.. Saharas, Gobis, desert-bare; ' . Are with His' Presence greeny ' . . Yea,' Ho. is'- everywhere, and, so. :'y ; . Tho helmet of the biave, The cavern of the coward foe,. ■_ ... ,'i .. y 1 The puddle and the wave, 1 ' , v.y : V' .The constellations and their dome, ;i' The ant-hole in the . sod, y Palatial -grandeur, lioyel-homo— . All arb'tho House of' God. '—"Ulimaroa," in "Mind, and 'Body.' y . /; • ; "THE sleepers." ■1J ' " Oh, when I've crossed -the' last long line : We all must cross some day,'' ;, . And drawn my last deep'breath o' brine y They'll-shovel me away Into a cramped and crowded grave/ - py And call it sacred ground— I- But oh, dear souls, it's I would be u. Out thereWith you beneath the sea ... , [.:' Sleepin' 50und.,;.,., . ■ For they're sleepin', sleepin', sound, ; Aro'tho dear hearts drowned, try,,,'.' Out yonder where the great guns blow t.yy . , Arid Mother: Carey's screams : ; 1 t-'.y-' / Can not disturb their dreams— F- , " They'ro. sleopin', sleepin' sound— T: r' ... Sleepin' sound liko gentlemen, fathc [■;'■ , ' . ■ deep below! , t'-'.'. ; -"For why, I think 'twould feel like horn / r If I could only lie i. With just a''counterpane of foam , Si;',;': . . , : Between mo and the sky. [ y If I could know' that far above t'vy . The ships I loved wore bound Out on the old tracks round the world if.';--'. And me, my last sail snugly furled. \v : '. '.' Sleepin' sound. ..." ! • ' .-George M. Matheson, in the "Ballads": ' , Poems"'of the Glasgow. Ballad Club. .. ffv';.vi://;--v': .v;, ./■ -■ ■■■ ; - " ■